Glacial geomorphology of the Gongba Mountain Area, Daocheng, Southeast Tibetan Plateau

Researching the glacial geomorphology of the Tibetan Plateau is crucial for understanding past climate change, as well as reconstructing the dynamics of palaeoglaciers. In this study, we create a detailed glacial geomorphological map of a formerly glaciated valley at Gongba Mountain (∼28°58'N, 100°23'E), in the Daocheng area of the southeast Tibetan Plateau. We combined Geographic Information Systems (GIS), satellite and Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote-sensing technology and field verification to produce a high-resolution glacial geomorphological map, which we present at a 1:10,000 scale. We identified over 800 landforms. Landform types included moraine complexes, moraine ridges, ice-scoured bedrock, weathered bedrock, kettle holes, cirques, lakes, shorelines, glaciolacustrine sediments, deltas and outwash. Analysing these landforms will help reconstruct past glacier dynamics, as well as the extent of glaciation, thereby advancing glacial geomorphological mapping on the Tibetan Plateau. Such information is vital for contextualising ongoing glacier response to future climate change in the region.